The Forest Department arrested K. Chandrababu, 43, and S. Ellapagalla, 48, after seizing two large tusks from their hideout in Aravatala Reserve Forest near Gudiyatham town in Vellore. The men are residents of Chethapettai village in Chittoor district on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border. Inquiry revealed that over two months ago, the duo, along with two others who remain at large, were hunting small wild animals in the forest. They then found two large tusks inside a decomposed elephant carcass. They took the tusks to their village and informed their gang members. The gang decided to hide the tusks in the forest until they found buyers. During routine patrolling, a team led by S. Ragupathy, Forest Range Officer, spotted the men in the forest. They were taken to the range office and questioned about the tusks. The team later seized the tusks from their hideout. A case has been registered against them. T.K. Ashok Kumar, District Forest Officer of Vellore Division, inspected the tusks. Preliminary findings suggest the tusks belonged to a young elephant that likely died from disease. The arrested men are now lodged in Central Prison in Vellore. The investigation is ongoing.